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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com